Ritchie’s Gully, Creag Meagaidh

Ken: A day off for myself and Steve today, which given the amount of fresh snow lying at sea level first thing this morning, and the rain lashing on the windows this afternoon, felt like no bad thing. However, unlike myself and Steve, Hannah isn’t soft, and braved the return to full-on wintry conditions to get in a day of climbing on Creag Meagaidh with our friend; Steven.

They found the approach to be much more sheltered than expected, with conditions underfoot being quite easy going, as the snow was very light and fluffy. On the route, the first icefall was in great condition, with good ice screws available. Thereafter, there wasn’t quite as much opportunity for good gear, but enough for the lesser angled terrain.

Spindrift was falling down and being blown up in equal measures, and the cornice was avoidable on the right. Some careful navigation required to reach The Window once they topped out on the plateau.